Disgraced PR king Max Clifford was taken to hospital after suffering a heart attack behind bars

Disgraced former publicist Max Clifford, imprisoned for a series of sexual assaults, was fighting for his life last night after collapsing twice in his cell before suffering a cardiac arrest in hospital.

Clifford, 74, is serving an eight-year sentence at Littlehey Prison in Cambridgeshire for sex attacks carried out between 1977 and 1985 on four girls aged between 15 and 19. He has been seriously ill since suffering a heart attack in August.

His daughter, Louise, 46, said: ‘He collapsed in his cell on Thursday when he was trying to clean it – it was just too much.

‘Next day he collapsed again and was unconscious for several minutes – though he doesn’t know how long.

‘He was seen by a nurse, who insisted he must be transferred to a local hospital.

‘That’s where he had his cardiac arrest, later on Friday. He is now in the critical care unit. He’s in a bad way.’

As well as problems with his health, the ex-PR mogul has been battling financial woes after being forced to declare himself bankrupt earlier this year.

Clifford was was jailed for eight years for sex attacks on four girls aged 15 to 19 and is currently serving his time at Littlehey prison in Cambridgeshire

During his trial at Southwark Crown Court, the kiss-and-tell publicist was described as a 'repulsive paedophile' and a 'bully', who sexually abused seven girls as young as 12

He owes about £4.5 million to unsecured creditors and £3 million to secured creditors.

Last year he was also ordered to pay £80,000 to one of his victims and £15,000 to another.